Academic Development Co-Ordinator - Foundation Phase

To implement and support the execution of the Academic excellence strategy within the Schools division and to lead and co-ordinate the effective and impactful implementation of the academic programs across the schools.

Key Areas of Responsibility Include:

Academic Strategy

• Researches and analyses global trends in education as they relate to the Schools key strategic imperatives. (E.g. Global Citizenship: Respect, Diversity & Inclusion and Global Competencies, IBL, Online assessments etc.)
• Defines the offering in the institutional context, by articulating the written, taught and assessed curricula across the schools
• Introduces key strategic imperatives and plans which have been agreed and implements them across the schools
• Keeps oversight of the integration of digital technology into the Teaching & Learning programmes offered at the schools
• Holds the schools accountable by making recommendations to the Brand Managers in terms of reporting the current status of the practice/offering to them.

Foundation Phase Programs

• Develops policy for achieving the learning culture of inquiry at Foundation Phase schools
• Assists individuals or teams with development of Units of Inquiry
• Co-Ordinates year level outcomes to ensure both vertical and horizontal articulation
• Ensures all requirements and procedures, set by the institution, are adhered to by all relevant schools
• Supports the preparation and process for Teacher Evaluation
• Leads, supports and monitors the activities of the Deputy Heads – Foundation Phase across schools
• Acts as the liaison between the Head of Academics and Deputy Heads- Foundation Phase and ensures all relevant communication is timeously disseminated to the Depty Heads – Foundation Phase
• Monitors and tracks the Academic Action Plans, per school, ensuring that reporting formats reflect the Foundation Phase school requirements
• Gathers both formal and informal feedback from staff and parents at information sessions and relays this to the relevant stakeholders
• Prepares reports for Board and MANCO on implementation, consolidating inputs received from schools
• Liaises with the Brand Marketing Manager to arrange for the marketing and promotion of Foundation Phase Programs
• Manages the resource budget for the Foundation Phase Academics

Professional Development

• Stays abreast of current global trends in education, e.g. by affiliation with relevant professional bodies
• Creates platforms/forums where global trends are shared and disseminated across the schools with the appropriate staff
• Arranges for own professional development needs
• Presents at leadership conferences , creating an awareness of current global thinking in the academic arena and promoting the School brands
• Writes articles for internal and external publications
• Attends and presents at functions as required viz Award Ceremonies, School Productions, Parents evenings etc
• Ensures relevant staff meet minimum requirements for professional development
• Co-ordinates the professional development plans of staff with respect to teaching and learning, in collaboration with the Schools leadership teams

Training & Staff Development

• Identifies development needs of Deputy Heads- Foundation Phase and teachers, sources and recommends solutions
• Prepares, develops and delivers the training material that is being offered to the schools
• Supports the induction of staff new to Foundation Phase
• Keeps records of all workshops and school visits and uses this information to help identify future needs
• Reviews, reflects and evaluates the effectiveness of the training offered
• Arranges regular teacher planning and collaboration meetings
• Provides input to Deputy Head- Foundation Phase and teacher appraisals
• Building good relationships with relevant stakeholders

Knowledge Management

• Ensures that schools have communicated an academic programme
• Lead the process of developing and/or reviewing the schools implementation of the academic scope and sequence documents, according to the requirements